Scottish joy for talented city hurdler (From Worcester News)

Scottish joy for talented city hurdler

9:00am Tuesday 9th August 2011 in News

SCOTSTOUN Stadium in Glasgow has been the setting for some of Worcester athletes’ greatest successes on the track in recent years.

Heather Paton, 15, continued the tradition as she claimed a bronze medal in the under 16s girls’ sprint hurdles at the Scottish National Championships.

Paton qualifies for Scotland as her father, former Worcester Warriors coach and Great Britain rugby league international Billy McGinty, is a Glasgow native.

Even an impromptu shopping trip to replace the running spikes lost with her luggage at Birmingham Airport was not enough to distract the young hurdler’s focus.

After warming up with a comfortable win in the second of three heats, she progressed to the final and claimed third spot behind Lasswade’s Katie Purves and City of Lisburn’s Jane Anderson. Paton’s medal was even more impressive given she had been nursing a hamstring injury since late May that severely hampered her preparation. Her hurdles coach at Worcester Athletic Club, Andy Poppleton, said: “She ran the race having only really had one hurdles session in nearly two months.

“She’s done little more than strides and gym work in training, managing the injury so that she’s been able to turn out for the races that really matter to her.

“Mike Bennett (her sprints coach) and I have both been incredibly impressed with the dedication and maturity she’s shown and her first national medal is a just reward.”